Current and future Social Security recipients came together today to sound the alarm on the long term economic impact the McCain-Bush style privatization plan for Social Security would have on North Carolinians.

According to a report from the Campaign for America’s Future released today, McCain’s privatization plan would place an incredible burden on North Carolina’s communities and families to provide for the basic necessities Social Security now provides.

“Senator McCain has been quite clear, offering more of the same failed Bush economic policies and saying that he believes that the way Social Security works is a disgrace,” said Reva McNair, president of Senior Democrats of North Carolina.

After his much delayed entry into the GOP presidential contest, lobbyist turned Senator turned actor Fred Thompson finally made his debate debut tonight and it's unlikely he impressed any of his many critics. While he didn't have to beg for a round of applause this time, he hadn't done his homework, getting his facts wrong on Social Security, manufacturing job loss and even his own positions.

THOMPSON WRONG ON MANUFACTURING JOBS

RHETORIC: More Jobs Now Then Before. Asked about the "Three quarters of manufacturing workers who lose their jobs and get new ones see their income go down," Thompson said that "there are jobs lost and jobs gained. And so far there are jobs gained."

Legislators have given final approval to a bill ordering the state treasurer to examine North Carolina's pension fund investments and sell those linked to Sudan's government or to the bloodshed in the African nation. The House voted unanimously to agree to Senate changes to the bill and send it to Gov. Mike Easley's desk.

North Carolina will join 17 other states that have adopted Sudan investment policies.

Treasurer Richard Moore has already begun divesting the $75 billion fund from nine companies identified as providing monetary or military support to the Sudanese government. 400,000 people have been killed and 2 million displaced due to bloody civil war.

Click here for a fact sheet on the bill.

Because the Bush Republicans in the Do-Nothing Congress blocked Democratic efforts to fix critical flaws in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, the average senior will begin hitting the so-called "doughnut hole" in the plan's coverage right now, costing seniors and people with disabilities throughout North Carolina thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. The "doughnut hole" is a result of the fact that the plan was crafted in such a way that Medicare pays 75 percent of the participant's first $2,250 in annual prescription drug costs, but forces them to pay all of their drug costs between $2,250 and $5,100.

According to a new report released this month by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, nearly 88 percent of Part D enrollees, roughly 7 million Americans, will fall into the doughnut hole, with the average senior hitting it this week. According to the report, 92% of North Carolina's 267,745 Medicare beneficiaries will fall into the doughnut hole.

A Message from Chair Jerry Meek:

"I believe that our Party needs to take the lead on finding creative, but pragmatic, solutions to our State and Nation's most pressing policy problems. Consequently, in the next few weeks I will appoint Study Commissions within the Party. Those Commissions will be entrusted with the task of researching issues within their domain and creating specific policy recommendations. Those recommendations will be forwarded to our elected officials.

The following Study Commissions will be created:

STUDY COMMISSION ON THE ENVIRONMENT

STUDY COMMISSION ON HEALTHCARE

STUDY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONS

STUDY COMMISSION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

STUDY COMMISSION ON RURAL AFFAIRS

STUDY COMMISSION ON EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S ISSUES